This is a divisional of application Ser. No. 08/919,850 filed Aug. 28, 1997, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,437,111; which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/452,772, filed May 30, 1995, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,700,911; which is a divisional of application Ser. No. 08/247,907, filed May 20, 1994, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,639,638; which is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 08/061,464, filed May 12, 1993, now abandoned, all of which are incorporated herein by reference.
The present invention relates to a novel family of purified proteins designated Bone Morphogenetic Protein-11, or BMP-11, DNA molecules encoding them, and processes for obtaining them. The inventors have previously designated the BMP-11 proteins as Activin WC. The BMP-11 proteins may be useful to induce bone and/or cartilage formation and in wound healing and tissue repair, or for augmenting the activity of other bone morphogenetic proteins. The BMP-11 proteins may also be useful to regulate the production of follicle stimulating hormone, for contraception, to promote neuronal cell survival, to stimulate hematopoiesis, and to suppress the development of gonadal tumors.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,798,885 disclosed DNA encoding the prepro inhibin α and β chains. U.S. Pat. No. 5,071,834 discloses pharmaceutical compositions of activin with two betaB chains formulated in a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,102,807 discloses a purified inhibin protein which suppresses production of FSH without suppressing production of luteinizing hormone.